Bottle crate

ABSTRACT

In a bottle crate for plastic bottles, for non-returnable bottles in particular, having location members formed at the crate bottom for each bottle location department, at least one perferably annular contact member made out of a material softer than that of the carrier is arranged on at least the crate-side contact faces between each location member and bottle of the lower stack layer.

The invention relates to a bottle crate for plastic bottles inaccordance with the preamble of patent ciam 1. Such bottle crated forplastic bottles accomodate the bottles each in location parts andsupport them using the crate bottom. Load degradation in the stackherein is directly effected through the bottles received in the crate.The invention, in particular, is applicable to bottle crates for plasticbottles made from PET in the field of disposable goods. Asnon-returnable bottles of that kind in many countries just are thrownaway by the customers, the bottle crate, once emptied, is to be returnedto the bottling firm therein requiring as little transport space aspossible. For this reason, to a great extent crates are used which aresimilar to low-built crates.

During load degradation in the stack through the bottles received in thetray, carrying on the closing cap often damages the text on the cap and,moveoever, often causes leakage. Carrying on the bottle shoulder and/orthe bottle neck scratches the bottle surface and due to the turbidity ofthe bottle wall gives the impression of dirt to the consumer. Thiseffect of being scratched has different reasons, namely

the lower crate profile lying flat on the bottle;

bottle and crate have almost the same mechanical hardness; the crateeven somewhat more than the bottle;

due to the materials used the friction coefficient between bottle andcrate is very small, for which reason the bottle turns during transportbecause of transport vibrations;

dust and dust particles support such effect.

It is object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of thedescribed prior art, in particular, creating a bottle crate in whichdamage of the bottle and/or bottle closing cap of the next lower stacklayer can be avoide safely but without much expenses with respect tomanufacturing technology and construction of the bottle crate.

In accordance with the present invention, said object is solved by thefeatures contained in the characterizing clause of claim 1, advantageousfurther develompents of the invention being characterized by thefeatures contained in the subclaims.

In accordance with the invention, on the side of the crate at least oneannular contact member made from a material softer than that of thecarrier is arranged at the crate on the contact area or the contactareas between each location or receiver part and the associated bottleof the lower stack layer. Thereby, the support of the crate of the upperstack layer with respect to the bottles of the lower stack layer iseffected by insertion of contact members made from a material beingsofter than that of the carrier, this bringing about a series ofadvantages. Said contact members which in a preferred embodiment may beformed by concentrically peripheral sealing rings preferably areintroduced in corresponding undercuts or recesses of the accomodationmembers. Herein, said contact members can be held in the recesses and/orundercuts by positive locking or vacuum tension, however, preferably aninjectable material is used which is injected into the undercuts andherein slightly protrudes over the crate. Instead of annular contactareas it also is possible to use individual contact pieces which aredisposed in the location member in circumferential distance peripherallyaround the bottle. Instead of holding the contact areas in recessesetc., these can also ber realized by coating the crate bottom. Aflexible resilient plastic material is used as material for said contactareas which in a preferred embodiment are made from the plastic materialethylene vinylacetate (EVA).

The advantage of the invention in particular lies in that the materialbinds with the crate body and that, because it consists of a flexibleresilient material, it can be burdened for longer time. Moreover, it isan advantage that the contact members out of flexible resilient materialcan match to the bottle body. Because of the flexible resilient materialof the contact areas the bottle neck and/or the bottle shoulders and/orthe bottle closing cap are no longer scratched. Furthermore, byinsertion of the contact area it can be achieved also that the bottlewill not turn any more during transport. This, too, substantiallycontributes that the bottle cannot be scratched any more. Preferably, inaccordance with a further aspect of the invention the material of thecontact areas and the material of the crate body are chemically relatedin such way that the recycling process is not interfered with.

In the following embodiments of the invention are described withreference to the drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 shows the schematical side view of a bottle crate, a cut havingbeen carried out in the left-hand bottom are in the range of a locationelement.

FIG. 2 shows the schematical side view of a bottle crate, a cut havingbeen carried out in the left-hand bottom are in the range of a locationsleeve.

In FIG. 1, 1 denotes a bottle crate out of plastic material serving foraccomodation of several plastic bottles 2, one of those being merelyschematically shown in the right-hand top side of FIG. 1. Said plasticbottles, mainly being non-returnable bottles, stand in respective bottlelocation members, bottle receiving members respectively, of the crate 1and are supported on the bottom thereof. The left location member isshown in section. The bottles 5 of the lower stack layer immerge intosaid location member 4, the crate 1 of the upper layer being supportedthrough said bottles 5 in the stack. This means that the bottles 5 bearthe load of the upper stack layers and of those thereabove.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the location member is formed such that itsurrounds the immerging bottle 6 at its upper portion. Usually thesupport in the shown embodiment is directly effected through thelocation member 4 through the bottle closing cap referred to by 7. Inthe shown embodiment, however, contact faces referred to by 6 areinserted, which consist of a flexible resilient plastic material,perferably ethylene vinylacetate (EVA). Said contact faces 6 are formedat the crate bottom 3, preferably at the individual location members, bycoating. This means that the support of the crate 1 of the upper stacklayer with respect to the bottles 5 of the lower stack layer is effectedby insertion of said coating 6. In the shown embodiment, the contactface 6 touches the bottles of the lower stack layer in the area of tehbottle closing cap 7. It, herein, is formed annularly. Instead ofannularly circumferentialy formed contact faces 6 it also is possible,to use isolated contact members, wherein said contact members then aredisposed in circumferential manner mit peripheral distance around thebottles, wherein just for example--3 or 4 or even more contact memberscan be provided for which fulfil the same function as the annularcontact face 6. This embodiment is realized in such cases in particular,where the location members show projections arranged with peripheraldistance or holding members by means of which the contact with thebottle of the lower stack layer is effected. Said projections and/orholding members, respectively, than are coated at least at the contactareas with the bottle.

In FIG. 2, 11 denotes a bottle crate made from plastic material, servingfor accomodation of several plastic bottles 12 only merely schematicallyshown with their lower section in FIG. 2. Said plastic bottlesperferably being made out of PET and being disposable bottles stand inrespective bottle location departments of the crate 11 and are supportedon the bottom there which is not shown in more detail. Location members14 project from the bottom are 13 in downward direction, the leftlocation member 14 being shown in section. The bottles 14 of the lowerstack layer immerge into said location elements 14, wherein the crate 11of the upper stack layer is supported in the stack through said bottles15. This means that the bottles 14 degrade the load of the upper stacklayer and those thereabove in downward direction. It can be seen that inthe shown embodiment the location member 14 is formed as sleeve and assuch surrounds the immerging bottle 14 at its lower portion. Usually thesupport in the shown embodiment would be directly effected over thelocation members 14 onto the bottle shoulders referred to by 16. In theshown embodiment, however, contact members in the kind of sealing rings,referred to by 17, are inserted. Said contact members 17 are accomodatedin the associated groove-like or flute-like recesses 18 at the innerface of the sleeve and/or the location member 14, respectively. Thismeans that the support of the crate 11 of the upper stack layer withrespect to the bottles 15 of the lower stack layer is effected byinsertion of said contact members 17. In the shown embodiment, a totalof two sealing-ring-like contact members 17 are disposed on above theother in axial direction and touch the bottles 15 of the lower stacklayer in the area of the respective bottle shoulder. Instead ofsealing-ring-like contact members 17 being formed circumferentially itis also possible to alternatively use several single contact members 17instead of a ring, the individual contact piece then beingcircumferentially arranged at peripheral distance around the bottles,wherein--for way of example only--3 or 4' or also more contact piecescan be provided for, which fulfil the same function as do the annularcontact members. These contact pieces, too, are disposed in associatedrecesses of the inner surface of the sleeve 14 and/or the locationmember 14, respectively.

I claim:
 1. A stackable bottle crate having bottle compartments in whichbottles of a lower stack layer support the bottles of an upper stacklayer, said bottles having a closing cap, a neck and a shoulder, saidbottle crate comprising:a bottom having a plurality of compartments forreceiving a bottle of said bottle crate lower stack layer; a bottlereceiving area in each said compartment, said bottle receiving areadefining a peripheral extent of said bottle of said bottle crate lowerstack layer, said bottle receiving area having an upper portion, a lowerportion and an intermediate portion; and at least one contact membermade of a material softer than said bottle crate, said at least onecontact member attached to said bottle receiving area such that said atleast one contact member is located between said upper portion of saidbottle receiving area and said bottle of said lower stack layer, said atleast one contact member touching the bottle closing cap of said bottleof said lower stack layer.
 2. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 1wherein said at least one contact member is annular, said at least oneannular contact member being arranged circumferentially about saidbottle receiving area.
 3. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid at least one contact member is a plurality of pieces, saidplurality of pieces being arranged circumferentially about said bottlereceiving area, said plurality of pieces having a peripheral distancebetween each piece of said plurality of pieces.
 4. A bottle crate asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one contact member is acoating, said coating covering said bottle receiving area.
 5. A bottlecrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one contact member ismade of a flexible, resilient material.
 6. A bottle crate as claimed inclaim 5 wherein said flexible, resilient material is ethylenevinylacetate.
 7. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidbottle receiving area further comprises an annular bottom.
 8. A bottlecrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bottle receiving area furthercomprises a tapered bottom.
 9. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 1wherein said bottle receiving area further comprises a cammed bottom.10. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bottle receivingarea further comprises a sleeve, said sleeve having an open bottom, saidbottles of said lower stack layer immerging into said open bottom ofsaid sleeve.
 11. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 1 wherein said atleast one contact member further comprises a plurality of concentricallycircumferential contact members, said plurality of concentricallycircumferential contact members being axially distant from each other.12. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bottle receivingarea further comprises a plurality of grooved recesses, said at leastone contact member located in said plurality of grooved recesses, saidat least one contact member protruding over said plurality of groovedrecesses of said bottle receiving area.
 13. A bottle crate as claimed inclaim 1 wherein said at least one contact member is fixed to said bottlereceiving area by glue.
 14. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid at least one contact member is fixed to said bottle receiving areaby an applied coating.
 15. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid at least one contact member is positively locked to said bottlereceiving area.
 16. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 1 wherein said atleast one contact member is fixed to said bottle receiving area by forceof tension between said at least one contact member and said bottlereceiving area.
 17. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 1 wherein said atleast one contact member is injected into said bottle receiving area.18. A stackable bottle crate having bottle compartments in which bottlesof a lower stack layer support the bottles of an upper stack layer, saidbottles having a closing cap, a neck and a shoulder, said bottle cratecomprising:a bottom having a plurality of compartments for receiving abottle of said bottle crate lower stack layer; a bottle receiving areain each said compartment, said bottle receiving area defining aperipheral extent of said bottle of said bottle crate lower stack layer,said bottle receiving area having an upper portion, a lower portion andan intermediate portion; and a contact member made of a material softerthan said bottle crate, said contact member attached to said bottlereceiving area such that said contact member is located between saidintermediate portion of said bottle receiving area and said bottle ofsaid lower stack layer, said contact member touching the bottle neck ofsaid bottle of said lower stack layer.
 19. A bottle crate as claimed inclaim 18 wherein said contact member is annular, said annular contactmember being arranged circumferentially about said bottle receivingarea.
 20. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 18 wherein said contactmember is a plurality of pieces, said plurality of pieces being arrangedcircumferentially about said bottle receiving area, said plurality ofpieces having a peripheral distance between each piece of said pluralityof pieces.
 21. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 18 wherein saidcontact member is a coating, said coating covering said bottle receivingarea.
 22. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 18 wherein said contactmember is made of a flexible, resilient material.
 23. A bottle crate asclaimed in claim 22 wherein said flexible, resilient material isethylene vinylacetate.
 24. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 18 whereinsaid bottle receiving area further comprises an annular bottom.
 25. Abottle crate as claimed in claim 18 wherein said bottle receiving areafurther comprises a tapered bottom.
 26. A bottle crate as claimed inclaim 18 wherein said bottle receiving area further comprises a cammedbottom.
 27. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 18 wherein said bottlereceiving area further comprises a sleeve, said sleeve having an openbottom, said bottles of said lower stack layer immerging into said openbottom of said sleeve.
 28. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 18 whereinsaid contact member further comprises a plurality of concentricallycircumferential contact members, said plurality of concentricallycircumferential contact members being axially distant from each other.29. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 18 wherein said bottle receivingarea further comprises a plurality of grooved recesses, said contactmember located in said plurality of grooved recesses, said contactmember protruding over said plurality of grooved recesses of said bottlereceiving area.
 30. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 18 wherein saidcontact member is fixed to said bottle receiving area by glue.
 31. Abottle crate as claimed in claim 18 wherein said contact member is fixedto said bottle receiving area by an applied coating.
 32. A bottle crateas claimed in claim 18 wherein said contact member is positively lockedto said bottle receiving area.
 33. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 18wherein said contact member is fixed to said bottle receiving area byforce of tension between said contact member and said bottle receivingarea.
 34. A bottle crate as claimed in claim 18 wherein said contactmember is injected into said bottle receiving area.